About

Welcome!

The goal of this blog is to bring and share information about Writing and Illustrating for children to published and unpublished authors and illustrators. I will post information I acquire from my interactions with editors and agents in the industry and share thoughts and techniques of other writers and illustrators in the field. Please send me your articles to help Children’s book professionals in the process of getting published. – Thanks, Kathy

A little about me:

I’m the former Regional Advisor in New Jersey for the SCBWI. It was a lot of work, but writing and illustrating and helping people is a passion of mine. Please visit my website to see my portfoilo and activity book titled “Horseplay.” www.kathytemean.com. If you have a passion to writer or illustrate for children, you should visit www.newjerseyscbwi.com and look at our events. We are a very active chapter and our members who come out and participate have been very successful in furthering their writing and illustrating careers.

I also run Temean Consulting, a Web Design and Marketing company for the creative individual or business. Children’s writers and illustrators will recognize the many clients we work with to show off their talents. Check out www.temeanconsulting.com and see some of the sites we have designed and developed for award winning authors, like Jerry Spinelli and Eileen Spinelli and David L Harrison.

In addition to heading up the NJSCBWI and writing and illustrating children’s books and magzines, I teach a children’s writing class and conduct classes for adults to learn the ins and outs of using Photoshop to enhance your illustrating. I also, do school visits to encourage writing and illustrating and conduct workshops for authors to assist in helping them market themselves. I have presented at the Highlights for Children “Life in the Spotlight” for the last few years and I am the editor-in-chief of Sprouts Magazine. – Please check out my website www.kathytemean.com

I just realized I never answered your question about the http://www.yaagroup.com. It is a place dedicated to helping young writers learn all they need to become our future authors and artists – Young Authors and Artists Group. Hope you have been using your creative talents.

Though I’ve been doing children’s books for 30 years, I’m just entering the world of blogs. Finding yours was a treat. I hope it’s okay to list it under “Supportive Sites” on my fledgling blog that’s all about picture books.

Hi there,
We are having Ms. Ettlinger visit our schools in March. Would you mind if I used some of the photos/text from your site for our bulletin boards? It’s so interesting! (I’ve already gotten permission from Sleeping Bear Press.) Most appreciated : )

Of course, you are welcome to use any of Doris’s pictures for her school visit. If you find they do not print big enough for you, let me know. I may be able to send something bigger or get it from Doris. I know you and the children will love her.

Hi Kathy, enjoyed finding your blog…due to looking into contacting Abi Samoun and her new agency! I’d love it if you would be interested in possibly listing my blog for artists…THE WAY TUGEAU hope you’ll check it out. Like my website articles I write to HELP artists in the industry as I have for going on 20 years now. http://catugeau.wordpress.com A new blog post about an interview with Callaway Digital Arts will be going up end of this week I think. love to increase the following…that’s the point of writing all this! thanks and best to you…

Hi Kathy
I just found your wonderful resource today. It’s great and full of so much useful information for us children’s authors. You can never get enough information!
Cheers!
Rob Bullockhttp://www.ninnylizard.com

Hi Kathy. I am new to your blog and also new to writing children’s books.. I am looking for help in getting published and getting my vision for my books to become a reality. Any help would be appreciated.

I realize that your blog is more business oriented than most of our blogs,so you may not have time to collect this award by its rules. However, I elected you because you truly deserve to be acknowledged for your fine blog, the inspiration you exude, and the opportunities that your present to others.

Please, if you get time, accept this award, with my heartfelt gratitude, for the doors that you open for others. Blessings to you!

You don’t have to pay for plug-ins with WordPress. I do play to display videos, but have to email, because it isn’t working now. Everything else is provided for free. Sorry, I did not see this right away.

Hi Kathy. I stumbled upon your great site. I have a question. I”m Australian and living in Latin America, so the New Jersey site http://www.newjerseyscbwi.com might not be so relevant to me. I only just started to illustrate for tweens and would like to develop this further. Any suggestions/tips for more ‘global’ sites ? Thank you! Cheers, Jenny

Hi. Kathy , I have been reading your blog for over a month now and find it very informative . Several of my writing questions have been answered by reading your blog. I write both YA and middle reader fiction. I just published a two part article and want to stay in the public eye at this time . How do I continue to make sure this continues? The article was in the National PKU News. It was the story of my life .

Hello Kathy. I have just subscribed to your email newsletter and have found recent articles interesting and helpful. However, I believe it is essential that articles about writing not contain glaring errors. Typos can happen, but when “sole” is written instead of “soul”, and “quarks” instead of “quirks” (article on the Ten Tips to juice up your Protagonist, it really detracts from the author’s credibility. I hope this feedback is helpful.

Kathy, your blog is full of great stuff! My only criticism is that there are a lot of errors in spelling, punctuation, usage, etc., in your posts, so when you’re aiming at writers, especially nitpicky editorial-oriented ones (kinda like myself), having someone who’s equally nitpicky proofread before you post would probably be to your advantage and get you even more respect–since it’s already a given that you do get a lot of deserved respect for all the value you provide in so many venues!

Thank you for your kind note. It is a matter of trying to provide as much information as I can to help writers and illustrators – EVERYDAY and still have a life. I realize there are types, etc. and I would love to fix them if someone points them out, but I would have to cut back on the information if I were to spend a lot of time editing. I do my blog before I go to bed and sometimes I read the post when I wake up and see mistakes. I’ll consider cutting back.

Oh, I just noticed an earlier commenter mentioned the same thing I just did. But I totally agree with the things she points out as well, especially about credibility. Among several problems/errors I saw in just a single post, the word “it’s” was used when it should have been “its.” Harder to get away with these kinds of things on a site for writers–avid members of the Grammar Police!

Petra was saying I had some typos and I needed to spend more time editing what I put out. There isn’t time for that, unless I cut back. But I think most people want the information. I guess I could ask for people to let me know when I make a mistake. Actually, I thought they were doing that. Right now I am doing a website for Newbery Medal Winner Phyllis Naylor. She won for Shiloh. So now I have two Newbery winners along with my other list of authors.

[…] Kathy Temean is a former Regional Advisor in New Jersey for the SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). She also runs hugely successful Temean Consulting, a Web Design and Marketing company for the creative individual or business. […]

Hi, i liked your site since we can find all the words needed to enrich our writing skills.
I’m Jessica Helou the founder of the online magazine : “Oui Society”.
You can all take a look at our website as well the interesting articles.http://www.ouisociety.com

Hi Kathy. Thank you for this wonderful blog. It’s most useful and a favorite. Within the last 40-50 days I believe you ran a peice on a religious/ inspirational leaning press that opened to submissions. Do you recall the press. I can’t find it. I really thought I saved it bit I guess I didn’t. Thanks again:)

How do we have a new book of ours considered for review and giveaway? When Jackie Saved Grand Central came out in March but I don’t see on your site how to submit a book. Please advise. I’m wondering if HMH has already contacted you?

I have a new book coming out possibly June 2017. It’s in the series of Savanna Jones. Authors name Claudette Bardot. I’m having a problem with Amazon let my book go for free I have thousands of followers but no income to show for it. I’m thinking of going to another e-book but paying for it like Lulu, her baby books but I have decided. Please keep in touch Claudette Bardot

Hello, I am new to all of this and just blundering my way through by trial and error, more of the latter I think. I have a fb page and website for the purpose of putting myself out “there”. I am not able to focus and thus not able to organize myself well as I try to transition and make a go of writing (and art) in this very large and connected world. Have you some advice for getting focussed or organized (barring the ability to focus)?
Thank you.
Janine (PS I located you via David Harrison’s blog)

This is a great site! Excited to find it. I especially like First Pages, but I can’t seem to find out when it is available and how to enter. Does it occur regularly? Every month? Only when announced? Could you please provide a little info about how to enter? Thanks. Keep up the good work!!!

I do the first pages every month. You can find the information on who is doing it and how to submit every Friday – no submissions guideline with the results – not needed. Just scroll back a week or do a search or wait for next Friday.

[…] We shared our appreciation for our NJ SCBWI Chapter and the generous spirit and heart of Kathy Temean, a former Regional Advisor and good friend. You can learn about Barbara’s Renato and the Lion […]

Rebecca Moon Ruark from the Rust Belt Girl blog steered me in your direction. This year I am making it a goal to write my first children’s book, and I’m contemplating using my watercolor painting to illustrate the book, so Rebecca insisted that I check out your blog. I can see that your site will be a wealth of information, so thank you! I look forward to following your posts as I embark on this new journey of mine.

Hi Kathy for the wonderful job you did for Dreidel Day book giveaway. You blog is wonderful and whenever I visit, I always find information that is super helpful. You’re doing a great ob for writers, illustrator and book lovers!

Hi Kathy,
I saw your call for St. Patty’s Day Illustrations. I have one to share with your website. I don’t have your email. You can contact me at kimberly.batti@gmail.com with your email and I will send art your way. Thanks, Kimberly

Hi Kathy, I have a question about submitting for a First Page Critique. If the agent reps adult manuscripts, is it OK to submit the first page of my (adult) historical novel MS? I wonder, since your site is for children’s lit. publishing. If you can let me know at ramoon75@yahoo.com, I’d appreciate it. Thank you! ~Rebecca